Uncle Mark was coming for dinner! How happy the children were since he was their favorite uncle. Mother was also glad to have her brother visit them while he was on business in their city. He lived so far away that they didn’t get to see each other very often any more.
Mother was preparing Uncle Mark’s favorite dinner. She was having roast leg of lamb, mashed potatoes and gravy, homegrown corn on the cob and fresh blueberry pie.
“Oh boy, is that lamb I smell?” asked Uncle Mark coming in the front door.
“We have lots of surprises for you,” answered Mother. “You just wait and see.”
“Ummmm, it sure smells good,” Uncle Mark said as he took another deep sniff.
Soon dinner was ready and they were all seated at the table. Daddy gave thanks to God for the food and for His care over them through the day. Then they had such a happy meal. (Having a thankful heart makes everything taste even better.)
When Mother served the blueberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, Uncle Mark’s eyes lit up. “Wow, another favorite of mine!” he exclaimed. “You sure are good to me.”
As they were eating and talking Uncle Mark accidentally dropped some pie on the white tablecloth. It made a big purple splotch. But everyone was so busy eating their own piece of pie that no one even noticed what had happened. Uncle Mark easily could have moved his plate over to cover up the stain. Then Mother would have been the only one to notice it when she cleared the table. That would have saved Uncle Mark some embarrassment.
However, Uncle Mark didn’t do that. Instead, he moved his plate the other way so everyone at the table could see the bright purple stain. Then he said to Mother, “I spilled some pie on your nice white tablecloth. I’m really sorry about it. I’ll be glad to buy you a new one if it is ruined.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it will come out when I wash it,” Mother reassured him. Uncle Mark was not the least bit embarrassed. He looked at his four nieces and nephews sitting around the table and said to them, “Look at the mess I made, but notice how quickly your mother forgave me when I told her what I had done. Now I won’t have to worry about that blueberry stain. But if I had tried to hide it, I would have been uncomfortable as long as we sat at the table. If I had moved my plate over to cover it, I would have been afraid someone might lift my plate and then everyone would see it. But since your mother knows all about it and has forgiven me, I don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
Daddy suggested Uncle Mark explain how the same lesson applies to Christians when we sin.
So Uncle Mark went on to explain, “The sooner we tell God what we have done and get everything cleared up with Him, the sooner we are happy again. We should try not to do anything to displease or dishonor Him, but sometimes we do anyway. For those times God says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). Trying to forget about or cover up our sins will not work. God knows exactly what we’ve done, and He has written it down. But because of the Lord Jesus Christ having died on the cross, those of us who are saved are forgiven. However, we are not happy or comfortable in His presence until we tell Him we are sorry and ask Him for help not to do it again.”
We never forgot Uncle Mark’s “blueberry pie on the tablecloth” story. Each of us who was there now have children of our own. They have also heard the story and the advice Uncle Mark gave us... usually when someone has spilled something on the tablecloth. It is still good advice. In fact, God gives us the same advice in Proverbs 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13): “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
ML-03/03/1985